2010 Plan Update #25: January/February 2003
2010 Plan's Objective: Enlisting the conference and its churches to reach new population groups for Jesus Christ.
Key Developments Since Last Update:
- VALPO CHURCH PLANT.
Rev. Kurt Nichols was appointed to Valparaiso First UMC to help it establish a new congregation targeting people born after 1960. The new congregation will eventually be located between Valparaiso and Chesterton. The church is receiving a three-year $100,000 Church Development grant from the conference to help fund the project.
- LAPEL TRINITY SATELLITE SITE.
Rev. Evan Lash reports that Lapel Trinity UMC will likely be breaking ground this fall on its Trinity Life Center facilities, which will be home to a new contemporary worship service and child care center. This satellite ministry site is located on 24 acres of land that’s part of the rapidly growing I-69 corridor north of Indianapolis. The church has already developed a recreation area on the site.
- HUNTERTOWN SATELLITE SITE.
Rev. Dave Michel says that the legal work has been completed for Huntertown UMC to purchase 36 acres of land on SR 3 (north of Fort Wayne) where the church will develop a new ministry site. The site will initially have a new worship service and recreational ministry. The church will be conducting a fund raising effort this fall.
- SOUTH BEND PATHWAYS.
Rev. Kevin Buckley, who has been planting a new church in an apartment complex-called Pathways-while serving as the pastor of Maple Lane UMC, reports that Pathways is getting ready to launch its fourth small group and has a constituency of around 25 people. Public worship isn’t to begin until next year.
- NEW HOPE GROUND BREAKING.
New Hope UMC held a groundbreaking service on Feb. 23rd. The church is relocating to a larger site near downtown Anderson.
- NEW WORSHIP SERVICES.
Our conference churches reported that they collectively started fifty new worship services to reach new population groups for Christ in 2002!
- OTHER PROJECTS.
The Calumet and Fort Wayne districts are working on additional new-church projects. Hispanic faith communities are also being developed in Calumet, Elkhart, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Warsaw, and other places are being considered.
Prayer Concerns:
- Pray for Rev. Kevin Buckley and Rev. Kurt Nichols and the South Bend and Valparaiso projects respectively.
- Pray for Huntertown and Lapel, as well as other churches considering multi-site ministry. Also pray for New Hope's relocation and all the new worship services.
- Pray for Rev. Oscar Ramos and our conference’s Hispanic faith communities.
- Pray that God would make our hearts--ache for the lost!
